Network Management Lead

Your mission THE JOB  
This role is responsible for leading the Planning function within Network Management, ensuring the successful delivery of planning activities across Rearrangements, Network Maintenance, Diversions, Wholesale Services and Network Expansion programmes. Lending support to the Senior Network Manager in the coordination, programming and governance of Network Management activities. 
 
The Network Management Lead (Planning) will combine people leadership with technical expertise, providing governance, assurance and direction to the Planning team whilst maintaining responsibility for the quality, accuracy and timeliness of planning outputs. Your profile WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING? 

• Lead, develop and manage a team ofAdmin,Planners and Senior Planners, ensuring delivery against operational and programmeobjectives. 
• Support the Senior Network Manager in the planning,coordinationand governance of Network Management programmes. 
• Coordinate planning activities across Rearrangements, Network Maintenance, Diversions, Wholesale Services, In-Life Build and Network Expansion programmes. 
• Manage planning resource allocation, workload prioritisation and programme sequencing to ensure effective delivery. 
• Act as the senior technical escalation point for complex planning,designand network record issues. 
• Ensure planning outputs are delivered to agreed quality,costand timescale requirements. 
• Review and authorise design changes, ensuring impacts are assessed,documentedand communicated. 
• Provide technical assurance and approval of planning outputs before issue to operational delivery teams. 
• Support reactive and proactive network maintenance activities through the provision of technical planning solutions. 
• Ensure all maintenance and network changes are accurately captured within GIS and network record systems. 

• Monitor programme milestones, risks,dependenciesand constraints, escalating issues whereappropriate. 
• Coordinate with Operations, NOC, Finance, PIA,contractorsand external stakeholders to support efficient delivery. 
• Ensure all planning activitiescomply withcompany standards, health and safety requirements, regulatoryobligationsand industry best practice. 
• Maintainand developplanning processes, standards, governancecontrolsand network data quality. 
• Support fault investigations and root cause analysis by providing planningexpertiseand network design insight. 
• Provide regular reporting on planning performance, programme delivery, resourcerequirementsand risks. 
• Identifyand implement opportunities for continuous improvement across planning,maintenanceand operational activities. 
• Attend site visits, stakeholder meetings and contractor reviews asrequired.

WHAT WILL YOU BRING? 
The ideal person will come from a telecoms background coupled with extensive planning experience.  Previous experience working for a major UK telecoms company would be an advantage.  

• Significant FTTP planning experience and strong knowledge of passive network elements and optical budget limitations. 
• Demonstrable experience leading technical planning teams/projects. 
• Experience supporting network maintenance, operationaldeliveryand programme management activities. 
• Strong understanding of fibre surveying, network design principles, PON architectures and fibre infrastructure deployment. 
• Proven ability to design fit-for-purpose and cost-effective fibre networks including topology layouts, splice plans, ductinfrastructureand cable routing. 
• Strong understanding of GIS governance, network recordsmanagementand as-built processes. 
• Detailed knowledge of UK and NI regulations relating to civil engineering works,streetworks, wayleaves, ESG, PIAand network infrastructure. 
• Demonstrable experience using GIS software.
• Strong stakeholder management,communicationand influencing skills. 

• Experience managing programmes, workstreams and competing operational priorities. 
• Strong leadership,coachingand performance management capability. 
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving,reportingand forecasting skills. 
• IT literate with the ability to produce standardised and ad-hoc reporting.